Fair offers full menu for fun

Wayne County 4-H Fair shows off students’ hard work and offers summer fun for all ages, such as fireworks, food, music, puppets, rides, model trains and a demolition derby.  

The fairgrounds gathering, which brings together residents from all over the county and beyond, opens Saturday, June 22 and ends Saturday, June 29. Poor Jack Amusements will offer rides and games each day.

Fairgoers can check out 4-H and open class exhibits from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Thursday at First Bank Kuhlman Center. 

Some 4-H events include the tractor operator’s contest and pet/cat show on Saturday; dog show, Sunday; rabbit, horse/pony, poultry and swine shows, Monday; goat, sheep, and horse/pony shows and Battle of Barns, Tuesday; goat, dairy beef, beef heifer and showmanship and beef steer shows, Wednesday; dairy show, horse/pony fun and games, Thursday. The Supreme Showman competition is at 6 p.m. Thursday and the livestock auction starts at 11 a.m. Friday.

Open livestock shows are planned throughout the week.

More than three dozen food vendors will offer fair fare, such as elephant ears, funnel cakes and lemon shake-ups, as well as heartier foods, such as Chicago dogs, sirloin tips, walleye fish, Chinese, pulled pork and sweet corn. 

Free health screenings are offered from 5-9 p.m. Sunday at First Bank Tent. Versiti will collect blood from 4-8:30 p.m. Tuesday during Emergency Public Service Day.

Country musicians from around the nation will offer concerts on the free stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Monday and Friday. Four bluegrass/gospel performers will be heard from 3-7 p.m. Sunday.

Singer/songwriter Rhonda Funk, who also has released several Christian albums, plays Saturday. Husband-wife duo Cook and Belle take the stage Monday.

Friday’s performer is singer/songwriter/guitarist Alex Miller, who has opened for Brooks & Dunn and Josh Turner and shared the stage with Diamond Rio and Sawyer Brown.

Born Again, Silvertowne, Cutter & Cash and the Kentucky Grass, and the Tim Shelton Syndicate perform Sunday.

Special attraction highlights

• June 22: Dirt drag racing, 7 p.m.; Rhonda Funk, free stage, 7:30 p.m.; “DC League of Super-Pets” movie, dark. 
• June 23: Bluegrass/gospel, 3-7 p.m.; horse pull, 7 p.m.
• June 24: Car show, 5 p.m.; Cook and Belle, 7:30 p.m.; truck/tractor pull, 7 p.m.
• June 25: Silly Safaris, 5:30 and 7 p.m.; blood drive, 4-8:30 p.m.; Hoosier State tractor pull, 7 p.m.
• June 26: Steven’s Puppets, TBA; rodeo, 7 p.m.
• June 27: Kids’ day 1-5 p.m. $15 armband ride special; Silly Safaris, 5:30 and 7 p.m.; dirt drag racing, 7 p.m.
• June 28: 4-H livestock auction, 11 a.m.; mud bog, 7 p.m.; Alex Miller; free stage, 7:30 p.m.; fireworks, dark
• June 29: Kicks 96 Idol finals, 5 p.m.; demolition derby, 7 p.m.